Posts made in July, 2015

In what may be considered a surprise decision, a federal judge ruled that online television streaming service, FilmOn X, may be treated as a cable company by allowing it the same compulsory copyright licenses that broadcast companies receive.
FilmOn offers content from cable companies like Fox, NBC, and the like. FilmOn captures broadcast television signals and transmits them to its users through the internet, enabling them to watch on their web-enabled devises.
Multiple cable companies sued FilmOn based on the premise that because it does not function like a traditional cable company, it should not be permitted to utilize Section 111 of the Copyright Act. This...

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that internet-based retail giant Amazon.com could be misleading consumers by displaying a watchmaker’s competing products when users search for its watches (read the full opinion here). Multi Time Machine Inc. (“MTM”), a luxury, military style watchmaker, brought a trademark infringement claim asserting Amazon violated its trademarks by displaying a rival brand’s products when customers searched for “MTM” watches.
This case, which came on appeal after Amazon won a motion for summary judgment in the District Court, is unique in that MTM brought its trademark infringement claim based on a likelihood of initial...